5 Reasons Dancing Reduces the Risk of Dementia

By Debbie Waddell, 9:00 am on February 6, 2018

There are many well-known ways to reduce dementia risk, ranging from eating right to keeping the mind active. However, for seniors who are willing to try creative prevention methods, dancing is one of the best options. Here are a few reasons dancing is an effective way to minimize your elderly loved one’s dementia risk.

1. Provides Exercise

Dancing is a cardiovascular activity that gets the heart pumping and the blood circulating. Whether your loved one has a passion for ballroom dancing or prefers to freestyle in the living room, the cardiovascular benefits of dancing can diminish dementia risk. Cardiovascular activity sends blood and oxygen to the brain, which can help your loved one retain his or her mental faculties.

Consider hiring a professional caregiver if your loved one needs help dancing or performing other cardiovascular activities. Roseville home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.

2. Boosts Memory

Many forms of dance, like ballet and ballroom, require dancers to memorize combinations. As mental practice is essential to maintaining brain health, learning dance routines serves as a type of memory game. Unlike most brain-teasers recommended for seniors, like Sudoku and crossword puzzles, dance combinations don’t just engage the brain. Remembering dance combinations also forces seniors to memorize a series of steps and then transfer that knowledge to the body. Dancing engages multiple learning styles at once, which stretches a senior’s mental faculties.

3. Enhances Decision-Making Skills

Some dance styles require seniors to improvise and remain conscious of their surroundings. With each new step they take, they make small decisions. After the end of a dance class, they’ve made hundreds of decisions, forcing the brain through a constant cycle of awareness, reaction, and choice. The stimulation that results from dancing rarely occurs in a senior’s day-to-day life, making dancing highly beneficial as a hobby.

4. Encourages Socialization

When seniors go to a dance class, they get to interact with their peers. Staying social is essential for seniors who want to stave off dementia. Social isolation can have negative effects on brain, increasing the risk of mental illness and decreasing brain vitality. Attending a weekly dance class is a wonderful opportunity for to engage with the community and stimulate the brain.

Joining a dance class is just one of the many ways seniors can socialize. For families living in Roseville, California, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.

5. Promotes Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity refers to the way parts of the brain like the hippocampus and cerebral cortex are able to rewire themselves in response to stimuli. As seniors age, their brain cells start to die, and it becomes difficult to produce new brain cells. The best way to resist cell deterioration is to constantly rewire the most crucial brain components by making new neural pathways. Seniors can rewire these components by making rapid-fire decisions. Cooperative freestyle dancing, which includes most ballroom styles, requires the improvisational thinking that creates new neural pathways.

From dancing to managing basic household chores, older adults may need help with an array of tasks. Some seniors only require help with a few daily tasks so they can maintain their independence. However, those living with serious illnesses may need more extensive assistance. Luckily, there is professional live-in home care Roseville, CA, seniors can rely on. Home can be a safer and more comfortable place for your loved one to live with the help of an expertly trained and dedicated live-in caregiver. To hire a dedicated in-home care expert for your aging loved one, call Home Care Assistance at 916.226.3737 today.